Overview
- President Trump removed Democratic appointees Richard Trumka Jr., Mary Boyle, and Alexander Hoehn-Saric from the CPSC, leaving only two Republican commissioners on the five-member board.
- The firings follow a visit by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to the CPSC offices, where commissioners reportedly resisted efforts to integrate DOGE personnel into the agency.
- The dismissed commissioners argue their removal violates the law, citing their fixed terms and the precedent set by the 1935 Humphrey’s Executor decision protecting independent agency officials from dismissal without cause.
- Consumer Reports and congressional Democrats criticized the move as a threat to the independence of the CPSC, which regulates the safety of everyday products like toys, strollers, and lithium-ion batteries.
- The Supreme Court is preparing to hear related cases on presidential removal powers at other independent agencies, potentially reshaping the balance of executive authority.